The specialist properties of polysulfide polymers were immediately recognised on discovery, and technology was soon developed to convert these materials into useful products. In this Rapra Review Report, the author describes the factors controlling the structure of polysulfide polymers and the properties which influence their use and performance in products. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database provides useful references for further reading.

SCFs are currently the subjects of intense research and commercial interest. Applications such as the RESS (rapid expansion of supercritical fluid solutions) process are part of standard industrial practice. In view of their ever-growing importance in the polymer industry there is a need to fully comprehend how supercritical fluids interrelate with polymeric materials to realise the potential that can be gained from their use. The authors review the basic principles of SCFs and their application within the polymer industry: characteristics and properties, extraction of unwanted residual products, polymerisation solvents, and polymer impregnation. Processing applications such as plasticisation, foaming and blending are also considered. There is discussion of the potential within the polymer recycling industry for use of SCFs as cleaning agents or within supercritical oxidation processes. Around 400 references with abstracts from recent global literature accompany this review, sourced from the Polymer Library, to facilitate further reading. A subject index and a company index are included.

This review describes the process of life cycle analysis in some detail. It describes the different organisations involved in researching and applying these techniques and the database resources being used to generate comparative reports. The overview explains the factors to be considered, the terminology, the organisations involved in developing these techniques and the legislation which is driving the whole process forward. The ISO standards relating to environmental management are also discussed briefly in the document. Design for the environment is covered in the report. This review is accompanied by summaries of selected papers on life cycle analysis and environmental impact from the Rapra Polymer Library database.

Polyolefin Foams are a relatively recent development compared to the other types of foam. Topics covered in this review include: processing and the properties required for successful foam production, the molecular structures necessary, the mechanical and thermal properties and how these can be used to best advantage, markets and applications. The review is accompanied by around 400 abstracts from the Polymer Library database.

This report provides an excellent, clearly written report on the state-of-the-art of food contact elastomers. In the UK, the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAFF), industry and Rapra have combined forces to study the issues surrounding rubbers in contact with food. A survey has been carried out of the food processing industry to determine which rubber products come into contact with food, contact area, duration of contact and temperature of contact. The results of this survey are found in the report and a compilation of data tables on each food industry studied is included as an appendix. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database gives useful references for further reading.

This report outlines the key issues regarding emissions from plastics. The report covers emissions from plastics during processing, treatment, storage and end-use. It summarises the published research on a wide variety of materials and settings. New methods of analysis and testing have been developed or adapted to examine these emissions. This report discusses the main techniques used. Data from analysis work on air quality and emissions from plastics is also included in this report. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database gives useful references for further reading.

This report presents an overview of the chemical analysis of thermosets. Materials based on thermosets present the analyst with considerable challenges due to their complexity and the wide range of polymer types and additives available. This review sets out to present an introduction to the analytical techniques and methods that are used to characterise and carry out quality control work on thermosets, investigate the failure of thermosets products and to deformulate thermoset compounds. The review is accompanied by around 400 abstracts from papers and books in the Rapra Polymer Library database, to facilitate further reading on this subject.

This report discusses the different types of styrenic copolymers available in the market place today, their properties and applications. The market situation is discussed. The chemistry of these materials is outlined, together with a summary of manufacturing methods. The morphology, manufacture and properties of key materials are described. This review is accompanied by summaries of the cited papers from the Rapra Polymer Library database.

Technical d104iles are high performance speciality materials. Applications are found in inflatable structures, tents, as reinforcement in composites for construction, as body armour and vehicle protection, in filters, as a base for flexible printed circuits, hose, conveyor belts and tyres. Polymer Enhancement of Technical d104iles examines the potential for these materials. The review is accompanied by around 400 abstracts from papers and books in the Rapra Polymer Library database.